Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Marnocha.
Hi Jason, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
To keep a very long story short, or as short as possible, I guess my enthusiasm for performance originally started back in Indiana when I was about 5 when I took up playing the violin. Loving music and the rush of being onstage even for just short recitals was quite a thing for me. Just immensely gratifying to be able to transmit joy to people. I’d always grown up doing voice impressions, as most kids do really, but I loved trying to capture the performance of it all too. I’d put a small cassette recorder up to the speakers of our TV and record movies that I loved, then go back and sort of “dub in” my own voice for some of the characters. I guess that was my earliest experience with what would end up being a big part of my career in anime. I ended up performing and doing tech in theatre productions through high school, and by the time college rolled around, I had been indulging another of my passions which was writing.
At the point, I was leaning more into wanting to major in screenwriting. Being an actor just didn’t seem like a real career choice, let alone voicing in cartoons. Of course, by the time I got through my first year at Columbia College in Chicago, I had tried the screenwriting major and didn’t really love it as much as I had hoped. As a cinephile and a writer that did surprise me a bit. But fortunately, I had auditioned for a few things in the theatre department and enjoyed the staff and atmosphere I’d been met with so I switched majors to theatre. About halfway through the year, getting a better feel for the new city and meeting new people, I met my dear friend Tom who had been dabbling in the radio department. That intrigued me. Because attached to that department…was a voiceover branch. That made me consider things in a whole new light. Having the practical element of the technical aspect that goes into radio production and possibly dipping my toes into voiceover was tempting. So I did end up switching majors again!
I managed to make my way in the world post-college with a BA in Radio under my belt, and I’ll always be grateful for that experience and the people I connected with along the way. It’s been a wild, long journey that’s landed me in Los Angeles getting to do what I love.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth, no. It’s been a bit rocky but I always try to learn something from every experience. Any journey’s trials can be instructive. Something I struggled with for a long time, and arguably still do to some degree, is marketing myself. I guess maybe it’s some sort of middle child syndrome, but I always hated indicating to myself if I could help it. Not much of a “HEY LOOK AT ME!” type, despite being an actor. Bizarre I know. But if you also have trouble with that, you do kind of have to push that aside, and through auditions and working relationships, prove that you are the best-suited actor to work with. That takes some adjusting in the real world out here. It certainly did for me. This business can also be a welcoming one, but not always and not to everyone. And that saddens me to see. But hopefully, things are on a more inclusive track now. I’d love to see that continue and for the casting net to be even wider.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an actor specializing in voiceover for original animation, video games, anime and commercials. I tend to play a lot of villains, which is always a lot of fun. They get the coolest designs and weapons and dialogue and such anyway, I always think. I suppose what sets me apart is that I have a deep, older voice for my age range which allows me to play a lot incidental characters or extras if you’d like. Easy to pepper me in as a villain and somebody’s grandfather and a bunch of random villagers and soldiers all in the same show. It’s even kind of a running joke I have among my friends that I’ll eventually voice their character’s dad (or at least granddad) in a series. Because it just keeps happening! It’s hilarious to me. I’m an old soul at 34.
What does success mean to you?
For me, success isn’t happiness exactly, happiness is fleeting. I just seek contentment. The starving artist thing can be all too real, so if I’m able to do the work I love and pay my bills and my rent and have a little money left over, that’s enough for me. I’m incredibly grateful I’m able to do that. More than monetary success, getting to slip into other characters outside of myself is just immensely gratifying. It’s a fun psychological exercise and a great craft that I love working at.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmarnocha/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmarnocha?lang=en
